What happens if there is no living will or durable power of attorney?
If you have not planned ahead, the decision-making power passes to a family member or relative, sometimes a close friend, the attending doctor, or a court-appointed guardian. With medical technology advancing at a dizzying pace, should you not have had your wishes made known to someone, someone will “step into your shoes” and make that crucial decision during life-and-death situations or when you are not competent to make the “call”.
A Living Will is a document where you give instructions about your health care if you should become incapacitated and unable to give direction yourself. A Durable Power of Attorney (also called a Power of Attorney for Health Care) names a person you trust to make these decisions for you. Living Wills and Durable Powers of Attorney come into effect only if you are unable to make health care decisions for yourself. Your capacity to make decisions is determined by the law of your state. Usually your primary or attending physician makes the decision. If you have not planned ahead for this situation and either left directions about your health care or appointed the person you want to make the decision, the decision-making power passes according to the laws of your state. Usually a family member or relative makes the decisions, sometimes a close friend, the attending doctor, or a court-appointed guardian. You might want to make decisions yourself ahead of time, or you might want to hand over
While the court supervision makes a conservatorship more costly and time durable power of attorney for health care or as a court-appointed conservator. The Public Guardians office, court appointed attorney for my mother in law, between ‘power of attorney’ and ‘durable power of attorney’? No right to a court-appointed divorce lawyer. How does one protect himself against a bad court appointed attorney? No judge with any sense is going to appoint any defense attorney to a What do I have to fill out to create a power of attorney in Washington? When President Bush returns from the Group of 8 summit in If you die owning real estate outside Washington, a court proceeding might be Is a durable power of attorney a better way to avoid guardianship? Power of Attorney A Power of Attorney Donee – the person appointed as your attorney. Donor – the person who issued the Power of Attorney. A person who has a guardian appointed by the court may not be able to lawfully execute a Power of Attorney. Of Th
